Chapter 18

# Episode 018

Of course, she didn't get up.

From the moment she laid down her mat in the hallway of the broadcasting station, she had seemed like an extraordinary person.

There was no way she could have fallen into a deep sleep in just ten seconds, so she was deliberately ignoring Yoo Haeum.

"Hey."

Yoo Haeum approached her threateningly.

One step, two steps.

Finally, she raised her body slightly.

"Why?"

Was she really asleep?

She glared at Yoo Haeum with sleepy eyes.

While people generally become more irritable when they wake up, the hostility in her tone seemed more than just ordinary irritability.

"Did you just swear at me?"

"When?"

"You just said 'shi-ba' (damn)."

Yoo Haeum was flabbergasted.

For a backup dancer who looked like she was under twenty, to swear at her friend, even in her sleep.

Naturally, she expected an appropriate apology, but instead, the girl lying on the floor with her head on the ground was quite annoying.

It was commendable that Yoo Haeum maintained her polite speech.

"I didn't know who you were. I said it when I woke up. I still don't know who you are. And you, you were the one who bumped into me first."

Bumped into her?

Anyone who heard that would think she had kicked her in the stomach.

"So, I already apologized. It's only polite to apologize together, right?"

"Hey, that's enough. Let's go."

Seong Pil patted Yoo Haeum's back and tried to back away. He looked back, still angry.

"Why is she so stubborn? Does she think she did well? With an attitude like that, she deserves to be fired..."

"Ah, yes, yes. I'm really sorry."

From behind, she loudly apologized.

But could that be called an apology?

It sounded more like she was venting her anger.

Seong Pil and Yoo Haeum were startled and turned around. The people walking in the hallway also naturally turned their gazes toward them.

"I'm sorry. Is that enough?"

"..."

Something in Yoo Haeum's mind snapped.

She decided to think about what had just happened as a responsible adult.

If the other person was angry, it was usually because of something she had done.

First, Seong Pil was walking down the hallway and accidentally bumped into her foot.

It was just a slight touch.

Then she lifted her head and said, "Ah, damn, what is it?"

In such a situation, the usual response would be, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that."

Anyway, Seong Pil apologized first. So, at the very least, an apology should have come back, right?

Given the age difference of over ten years, it was an unusual situation for both to be so stubborn.

But the result was as seen...

"Hey, what's your problem?"

Yoo Haeum pushed Seong Pil's hand away and approached her. Seong Pil, flustered, said softly,

"Hey, stop it. Do you want to embarrass me?"

"No, that's not the point. She's not just any backup dancer. Didn't you hear her shouting just now...?"

"She's not a backup dancer, she's a supporting dancer."

She got up.

Not standing, but sitting up instead of lying down.

"Call me a dancer if you want to call me. If you want to emphasize that I stand behind, call me a supporting dancer."

Yoo Haeum and Seong Pil, who looked like industry insiders, were stunned.

Was she a famous idol hiding her strength or something?

Or did she have some connections?

Or maybe...

There was no reason for her to pick a fight with them.

"This is really what you're doing...!"

"Hey, hey, that's enough. Let's just go!"

Seong Pil forcibly grabbed Yoo Haeum's shoulder and tried to leave.

It was best to avoid the situation before Yoo Haeum's temper flared up.

"Ara!"

Then, from the other end of the hallway, three dancers wearing the same clothes as her ran over.

Her name was Ara, and she had been holding her gaze against Yoo Haeum.

"What's going on?"

The dancers were holding takeaway coffee. They had sensed something was wrong near Ara and rushed over.

"Nothing."

Ara's tone softened as if she had never been annoyed.

She didn't want to show this side to her colleagues.

"Is that person from your team?"

Yoo Haeum found her next target.

"Really, stop it. Are you trying to embarrass me?"

Yoo Haeum's feet wouldn't budge even as Seong Pil pulled her arm.

She regretted not doing more arm exercises.

"Yes, yes, that's right."

"That person swore at you. And there was no apology at all... I'm getting angry just thinking about it."

"I'm sorry."

The dancer who seemed to be the leader apologized matter-of-factly.

From the fact that she didn't ask for details, it seemed this had happened before.

However, Ara's expression turned fierce when she saw her colleague bowing.

"We'll apologize on her behalf. I'm sorry."

Yoo Haeum's anger subsided when she saw the polite bow.

"No, sister, why are you doing this? I'll apologize. Don't."

Ara pushed past her sisters and bowed deeply.

"I'm sorry."

Yoo Haeum was even more stunned.

Ara, who had been frowning just a moment ago, suddenly bowed deeply, which felt worse than being mocked.

"Oh my, why are you all doing this?"

At that moment, the door to the nearest waiting room opened, and a familiar face to Seong Pil appeared.

"Minjeong?"

"Hey, brother. Long time no see."

Baek Minjeong.

A dancer affiliated with Yoo No Dance Academy.

Two years ago, when Seong Pil was at Success Entertainment, he had met her when commissioning choreography.

Baek Minjeong approached cautiously.

"What's going on?"

Ara's expression became even more sour when she saw Baek Minjeong and Seong Pil were acquainted.

But it was more a look of frustration than anger.

After hearing the whole story, Baek Minjeong put her hand on her forehead and said softly,

"Jo Ara. Ara."

Jo Ara approached Baek Minjeong.

"Is what brother said true?"

"More or less..."

"Brother apologized first?"

"...Yes."

"Did you apologize?"

"I did, but..."

Baek Minjeong gently pushed Jo Ara's back and bowed.

"Since you've done it once, let's do it again."

"...I'm sorry."

Seong Pil felt frustrated.

He didn't want to receive an apology with so much attention from others.

"Guys, there are seats in the waiting room. The group that just left is only doing one more stage and then leaving. Go in and rest."

"Okay."

The dance team took Jo Ara to the waiting room.

"I wonder when this broadcasting station will give us our own waiting room."

"Who's a backup...?"

Seong Pil quickly corrected the word, remembering what Jo Ara had said earlier.

"Who's a supporting dancer?"

"Good grief. Did Ara pick on that word too?"

"Thinking about it, the term 'backup dancer' does sound a bit off."

"That's because the word 'backup dancer' came to Korea and the 'up' was dropped. Everyone just uses 'backup dancer.' But she seemed sensitive to that word."

"I see. I'm sorry this happened."

"Sorry for what!"

Baek Minjeong laughed as if she had forgotten everything that happened.

"If you're sorry, give me a choreography commission later. Tell the director that no one but me will do it. The fee is about 50 million won..."

"I definitely can't give it to you. Anyway, I feel bad for demoralizing your students."

"She needs to be demoralized a bit."

Saying that, Baek Minjeong looked at Yoo Haeum.

Now that she thought about it, Yoo Haeum had been unusually quiet. She was subtly avoiding eye contact with Baek Minjeong.

"Ha."

Baek Minjeong sighed deeply, not sure who it was directed at, and then regained her smile.

"Oh, but I'm sorry. Aren't you busy?"

Baek Minjeong would be the one really busy.

Seong Pil decided to play along with her.

"Yeah, you're busy too. Go on."

"Okay, I will. Let's have a drink later. Bye."

Baek Minjeong gave Yoo Haeum a wink and went back to the waiting room.

Seong Pil patted Yoo Haeum's shoulder.

"Ouch!"

"Why were you so overreacting?"

"Overreacting? Overreacting? Are you a Buddha? Why didn't you get angry at a high schooler who swore at you?"

"I felt sorry for her."

"What for?"

"Sleeping on a mat on the floor."

The waiting room at the broadcasting station wasn't large.

Famous people would share a room with their team, but often, multiple groups would share a waiting room.

When all the staff were gathered, the room would be too small, and some would have to wait in the hallway or outside.

Dancers, who usually came in large numbers, often found themselves in such a situation.

"It's unfortunate, but everyone is like that."

"I wonder if they'll ever build a new building. By the way, do you know Minjeong?"

His attitude seemed unnatural for someone who didn't know her.

"Yeah, I know her a bit."

"If you know her, why were you so quiet?"

"Just because we met nicely, that's why. Let's go. Don't you want to go home?"

That day, Seong Pil finished his work without incident.

Although it was just one day, working as a manager for an idol group made him feel alive.

After dropping off the group members at their accommodation, his work was truly done.

"Oh, I shouldn't be too happy."

If he had finished his work at Garo Entertainment, it would have been a little past dinner time.

Now, it was completely dark.

Seong Pil stretched and headed to the company.

He wanted to show his face to Rika.

On the way to the company, Seong Pil thought about Jo Ara.

'So, it's her.'

Jo Ara.

In his previous life, Seong Pil was the head of management at Success Entertainment.

That's where he met Jo Ara.

She would become a choreographer and dancer in the future, and later, she would also pursue an acting career.

'She was such a smooth talker.'

Jo Ara became associated with Success Entertainment through her acting career and later, Seong Pil would ask her to create choreography.

He remembered having dinner with the staff after finishing a project.

Jo Ara, who drank a lot at the same table, was still vivid in his memory.

She was someone hard to forget.

When Seong Pil first met Jo Ara, he was in his late thirties, regretting not getting married due to his obsession with work, and started paying attention to his appearance.

He remembered asking Jo Ara, who looked young like a vampire, for the secret to her youthful appearance.

'She must be a bit sharp because she's young. She probably learned to socialize while working as a choreographer. ...But what was the secret to her youthful appearance?'

It was probably 'challenge.'

She said that a young heart keeps the body young, and to try new things.

'Her appearance has changed so much I didn't recognize her. ...But she's not someone I couldn't recognize.'

She was so cheerful and charming that he had even joked that she would make a good idol.

'Should I bring it up? But the first impression was bad, so she might not even want to meet me.'

Seong Pil pondered his encounter with Jo Ara as he returned to the company.

When he entered the first floor, he saw Rika negotiating with Han Goo-in.

Rika was intently watching the process of making health juice.

"Don't put onions in it."

"Onions are good for your blood. What if you get cancer, Rika?"

"At my age, what cancer? Put more fruit, not vegetables."

"Making health juice is my pride."

"Whatever... Ah, Manager Park! Manager, have you had dinner? Want to go somewhere nice? I want to eat meat."

Avoiding the playful Rika, he went to Han Goo-in.

"Manager Han, you've worked hard."

"Whether it's Manager Park or Manager Han, it's too much! I need a cheat day too!"

"Manager Park worked hard. Managing the live broadcast schedule isn't easy."

"Not at all. It felt more like home than here."

Han Goo-in opened the blender lid and poured the health juice into a tumbler.

Rika's face crumpled as the amount of juice decreased.

But when Han Goo-in handed it to her, she drank it without complaint.

"Manager Park, have you had dinner? I'll buy, let's go together."

"Should I?"

"This is harassment! Talking about eating in front of a hungry trainee! Set a cheat day!"

It was rare for Han Goo-in to suggest dinner.

Since he always took Hong Gyu-hyun home, they usually parted ways in different directions after work.

The fact that Han Goo-in was suggesting dinner meant he had something to talk about.

"Then, I'll take Rika to the academy and we'll go nearby."

"I miss my home country. My school friends, my parents, the teishoku-ya (Japanese restaurant) I used to go to..."

Seong Pil gently patted Rika's head.

"If you hit your target weight this weekend, we'll go eat something delicious."

"Do you know how much I like Manager Park?"

At that, Han Goo-in looked at Rika intently, with a longing gaze.

"Manager Han likes you too, up to the 'heat circle' level!"

"That's enough to make me emotional."

Rika, still holding her empty stomach after drinking the health juice, was taken to the academy, and then they went to have dinner.

Because of Rika, they ended up going to a Japanese restaurant.

"I feel a bit guilty. It seems unfair to eat this while excluding Rika."

"There's no need to feel guilty about a salad set."

Actually, Seong Pil felt guilty.

He had ordered a tonkatsu set, which was dripping with oil.

Han Goo-in was the type who didn't talk much during meals. He wouldn't open his mouth until he finished chewing.

Seong Pil had to try to match his conversation timing. But as the meal neared its end, it became too difficult to start a conversation.

'Manager Han, don't you have something to say? You've been so quiet.'

He felt a bit depressed as he kept thinking.

'When will I gather all the trainees? Am I doing this right? I feel bad towards the CEO...'

Thinking about it, Jo Ara, whom he had met earlier, came to mind.

'But it's a bit wrong to interfere with someone who will do well in the future. At least, it should be someone who aimed to be an idol...'

"Manager Park, I have something to tell you. I've been thinking about it on the way here, but I think it's better to tell you."

Han Goo-in always spoke seriously, but today he was even more serious.

Seong Pil put down his utensils and listened.

"I... really... found someone I like a lot."

"Is this a love consultation?"

"No, it's about a trainee."

"Sorry, your tone made it sound like that."

"Actually, it doesn't seem different. Now I understand why Manager Park ran to Miss Baek Seolha and made a crazy confession in broad daylight."

"Isn't that too many adjectives and adverbs?"

Is he mocking me?

"Manager Park might not like her, but I think you will."

"Do you have a picture?"

"There's no picture. I didn't have the chance."

"Okay. Can we go see her tomorrow? Do you have her contact information?"

"I don't have her contact information either."

"Then what...?"

"She's a student at the academy. A student at Yoo No Dance Academy. Her name is Jo Ara."

Hearing that name, Seong Pil's thoughts paused for a few seconds.

"Her name is Jo Ara?"

"Really beautiful. Can you come with me to find her?"

How could this be so coincidental?